Penne with Italian Turkey Sausage and Summer Veggies

July 31, 2009

Happiness, thy name is pasta. High, fiber, whole grain pasta (not a whole lot actually) couched in a lovely, light, veggie laden sauce with just enough sausage to add a nice layer of flavor without adding a lot of fat. It’s a fantastic return to the world of HEALTHY carbs. And it’s a great example proving that you don’t have to have a GINORMOUS bowl of pasta to be satisfied. This dish is actually mostly a thick and chunky sauce. I figured it would be a great, entry for Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Ruth herself.

Ingredients:

2 links Italian turkey sausage

1 medium zucchini, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 15 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes

4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, rough chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 teaspoon fresh basil, minced

pinch salt

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

pinch fresh ground pepper

1 oz. part skim mozzarella, grated

1 cup whole wheat pasta (I used penne)

Directions:

Remove the sausage from the casing and brown it.

In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and throw in the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.

Add the browned sausage.

Add the mushrooms.

Add the rosemary, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil.

Add the can of tomatoes.

Start your pasta water boiling while the sauce simmers.

Add the pasta. Cook for approximately 6 minutes, then add drained pasta to the simmering sauce.

Continue to simmer the sauce until the pasta is al dente. You may need to add a shot of chicken broth to have enough liquid for this as the liquid reduces.